​DECEMBER

31/12

A somewhat emotional weekend here, as we wrap up 2023 by saying goodbye to two of our Birk x Alice babies who, having turned 8 weeks on Friday, have now both left for their new homes here in the UK. Always tough letting them go - and I really could have kept all three if circumstances had allowed - but putting that to one side I am of course super excited to do my proud breeder bit and very much looking forward to watching them as they grow up and join their new owners on making many memories & plenty of adventures.

But that also means we get to end the year by introducing our keeper, so everybody please say hello to Ryan - Fenrirkin Keeping It Loki - who totally nailed the wistful puppy look as he watched the last of his siblings leave the building! And also thrown in are a couple of farewell selfies with Willow (Fenrirkin Into The Freyja - now known as Kulu) and Rowan (Fenrirkin Odin On Tight - now known as Winter).

27/12

With thanks to friends, while I stay at home with the puppies Noah gets to go on an adventure across the water to Ireland for Dublin Dog Show Society's end of year, National Championship Show where I am delighted to report that under judge Kenneth Stevenson he gains 1st / Excellent Champion Dog, Green Star / Best Dog & Best of Breed, handled wonderfully by Donal O'Callaghan.

​17/12

A nice day out at a relatively local Premier Open Show - Boston & DCS - which has rescheduled Greenland Dog classes for the first time in several years.
Under judge Anna Ballington-Graham, Jess wins Open & Best of Breed, with Noah hot on her heels in 2nd / Reserve Best of Breed handled by friend Mark. Many thanks to Sally McKinlay for taking some photos of the gang on the day, too.

16/12

Today was a trip with Jess, Harry & Noah to Lincolnshire for the final 2023 weightpull, and as always it proved an enjoyable day, albeit a relatively short one due to a lower than normal entry of less than twenty dogs (which I suspect may also have ended up affecting our final results as I was skipping weights differently in a bid to give the boys a decent rest break between pulls when we reached the heavier weights).
Before the competitive results though, Jess was first up in novice class and although is still nowhere near ready to move out showed some real improvement, actually pulling up to 900lb unaided before we called it a day to end on a good note – the aim for 2024 is to get her confident enough to do it without me being next to her 
Harry competed in the 81-100lb, coming 2nd with a pull of 1600lb / 19.5x his bodyweight (equal on weight to 1st place but slower on time) after we skipped the 1700lb to attempt that all too evasive 1800lb needed for that last WWPDA leg - but hey, why not keep trying while the lad still enjoys it!
Noah was also 2nd in his 101lb+ class, with a pull of 1900lb / 17.92x his bodyweight (although again, I skipped 2000lb and put him back in at 2100lb which was clearly a bit ambitious) – this was also the second highest weight pulled on the day, so all in all not too shabby!
 

04/12

A big happy 3rd birthday to Jess and the rest of our first Greenland litter who have all made us very proud not only for their achievements but for just being all round happy breed ambassadors in everything they turn their paws to!

​​NOVEMBER

26/11

Today we get to wish a big happy birthday to our resident black dog Dylan and all his other Sledog Puck x Java littermates!
He is quite enjoying a semi-retired life while his kids are out and about flying the breed flag on his behalf (although remains just as cheeky as ever - and long may it continue)! 

25/11

Today we attended The Nordic Speciality Open Show, always a calendar favourite.

Under breed judge Avril Roper, Jess had a fabulous day, first by winning her Open class (with kennelmate Noah conceding to 2nd) and then claiming Best of Breed!
Not done there, she then went on to represent the breed in Best In Show and from 20+ Best of Breed dogs competing she was shortlisted to the final six by judge judge Claire Boggia! Super proud!

Also flying the flag was sister Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts) who not only won her Post Graduate class but claimed Reserve Best of Breed in the challenge! Her success continued in the Stakes classes, winning her AV Open Class and Reserve in AV Sled Dog Open - what a good girl!

Of course I didn’t manage to get any formal photos of Jess on the day, so here are some standard, super serious ringside antics courtesy of friends Dolores & Kim.

18/11

Despite my van being off the road, with thanks to a friend myself and three of the Fenrirkin gang were able to hitch to the CEDCGB-AMCUK Weightpull – and what a wonderful day we had!

Noah has to have the main call out here as he not only pulled a new personal best but can also claim *NEW UK GREENLAND DOG BREED RECORD!!*
With an amazing pull of 2100lb (19.44x his bodyweight)! He even gave the 2200lb a good go but didn’t keep up the momentum enough to make the 60 seconds. This pull meant he came 2nd in the 101lb+ class, equal on weight to 1st place / HWP but slower on time. Also cool to note that if he were of a different breed would have earned his 1st WWPDA leg - so super proud of the big lad!! 

Harry however also had a fabulous day, placing 1st in 81-100lb class with a pull of 1700lb, which at 20.73x his bodyweight was the highest percentage pulled by a male on the day and once again so bloody close to that final WWPDA leg (22lb short, to be precise) but as I always say, with his 11 year birthday only a few months away I am certainly not complaining.

Also competing was Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black owned by Charlotte & Kurts) who flew the flag wonderfully by winning the 41-60lb class with a pull of 1300lb / 23.64x her bodyweight (another who would have gained a WWPDA / WWPDX leg if Greenlands were eligible for such titles)!

And last but not least, Jess came along to keep building on her confidence in the novice class and we actually made some progress by getting up to 800lb before we decided to end it on a good note!

03/11

What a way to start our month, by welcoming our second Greenland Dog litter into the world. 

After her successful holiday to Norway and romantic liaision with Birk Av Rennfokk, in the early hours of this morning Alice gave birth to three chunky babies - one red girl and two grey boys. Very proud of our girl and so excited to see these babies grow up.

​OCTOBER

30/10

While I stayed at home on puppy watch, with thanks to friends Noah enjoyed a trip across the water to Ireland for Bull Breeds Annual All Breed Championship Show. Handled wonderfully by Scarlett Burnside as always, he came away with his 1st Champion Dog, Best Dog, his 4th Green Star and Best of Breed under judge Lyn Appleby - good lad!

22/10

Despite flooding & multiple road closures making my usual hour-ish round trip to the GDCGB AGM closer to three hours today, I did eventually make it in one piece and, as is now the custom, the meeting wrapped up with the Greenland Dog of the Year Award announcement and award presentation. Fair to say in the Show awards, the Fenrirkin Team couldn’t have made me more proud:
Top Greenland Dog 2022-23 - Jess!
Runner Up Top Dog / Best Opposite Sex - Noah 
3rd Top Dog - Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts)
4th Top Dog - Alice (who hasn’t actually been in the ring since June)
5th Top Dog - Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans, owned by Kimberly & Mark and from limited showing this year)
7th Top Dog - Dylan (from just one open show)!
10th Top Dog - Nuuka (Fenrirkin Catch Me If You Can , owned by Jo & Carl and also from just one open show)!

It was also great to see that even from a limited competitive season, some Fenrirkin dogs still snuck into the Top 10 in the Working Dog of the Year awards, with Elska, Noah & Dylan all claiming Joint 4th from the maximum points that can be claimed from weightpull (and Jess sneaking in too with her one rally and handful of pulls out of novice).
My superstar here though was Alice who, with thanks to her multiple rally class wins at the start of the year plus her own weightpull awards, actually claimed... *drum roll* ...
Runner Up Top Working Dog!

As always, very proud, especially for those Fenrirkin dogs living elsewhere and whose owners do a fabulous job in getting the best out of them.

07/10

Today was the much awaited first CEDCGB-AMCUK weightpull of the season and despite my struggling a bit due to being full of cold it proved to be an all round good day.

Starting with the boys, Noah came 3rd in the 101lb+ class with a pull of 1900lb / 18.3x his bodyweight, an equal PB and incidentally, also the third highest weight pulled on the day behind his Malamute classmates, so all in all super pleased with the lad!

Next up was Harry – who I suspect at over 10.5 years of age may have been the oldest competing dog – and he really made me proud, coming 2nd in the 81-100lb class with a final weight pulled of 1700lb / 20x his bodyweight (and again, actually the 5th highest weight pulled on the day). He even managed to get the 1800lb needed for his final WWPDA leg all but inches from the end of the chute before my voice gave out and he lost momentum (doh)! But he gave it such a good try I cannot be anything but proud of his efforts!

Dylan was also competing in the 81-100lb class and came 5th with a respectable 1500lb / 16.3x his bodyweight and actually put in some effort - so will take that as a win!

Getting to do my proud breeder bit, Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black) & owner Kurts made a wonderful team as always, with Elska also pulling an equal PB of 1400lb / 23.3x her bodyweight to win the 41-60lb class – such a good girl!

And finally, Jess was moved back down to Novice Class as the scare she gave herself at the end of last season was clearly not forgotten over the Summer as we hoped - difficult not to feel disappointed when she had until then been showing promise but we will keep trying to find ways to make this fun for her again and hopefully get her back into competition. And if nothing else she enjoyed plenty of cuddles outside the chute!!

With thenks to Trish Quinn for sharing, some videos of the competing gang on their final weights to enjoy (although would recommend volume down)!

01/10

This weekend was another International adventure but was in fact an extra special one as it was my first time back showing dogs in Ireland since 2019!

Saturday was the Dublin Dog Show IKC International Show, where under judge Terence Griffin, was a clean sweep for my competing duo of Noah & Jess, with both being graded Excellent in their respective Champion Dog / Bitch classes, taking the CACIB / Green Stars too. In the challenge, Noah was taken in by friend Donal for the first time who did an awesome job with the big lad, so awesome in fact that they kicked mine & Jess’s arses and claimed Best of Breed!

Sunday was the National Show and proved another successful day under judge Marie Hamillwith both dogs once again graded Excellent in their classes, claiming the Best Male / Female Green Stars, but this time Jess managed to even the score by winning a Best of Breed of her own, Noah conceding to Reserve Best of Breed.

These wins give Noah his second & third Greens Stars towards his Irish Champion title (having managed to sneak one past Dylan as a Junior pre-Covid) and gets Jess started on her own title by gaining her first & second Green Stars. Good pups!

SEPTEMBER
 

28/09

September brings another very special happy birthday, this time to our oh so lovely Alice & her Suna-Sanik 'Freidige' littermates. And how did she choose to celebrate? By a trip to the vets for an ultrasound scan where it was confirmed she is pregnant from a breeding with the lovely Birk Av Rennfokk!!

Due to the geographic challenges, achieving this breeding no mean feat and it was actually back in July that she & I undertook a drive from Nottinghamshire to Folkestone (UK), a trip under the sea on the tunnel to Calais (France), another drive from there through Belgium to Amsterdam (Netherlands) where we swapped the car for a plane and then flew from Amsterdam to Oslo (Norway) and then a bit further North still onto Røros for the purpose of her having a romantic liaison.

As much as I would have loved to stay with her in Scandinavia for the duration, all the other commitments at home meant making the decision to have her remain in Norway without me while nature took its course, returning in August to collect her and undertake the same long journey in reverse.

After weeks of nervously awaiting we are so delighted to see there are pups on the way and are very grateful for also being able to have enjoyed such a wonderful adventure, meeting a number of beautiful Greenland Dogs - and their humans, of course - and with Alice in particular being treated to a much cooler climate than she would here in the UK at this time of year and no doubt delighted to take advantage of the opportunity for training in harness with Gisle’s team when weather and time permitted (and what a compliment to the temperament and working focus of his dogs who accepted an unrelated, entire female into the team without batting an eyelid)!

To learn more about this special paring, please check out our 'Litters' page, otherwise please enjoy some photos of her holiday back to her homecountry.

23/09

Another lovely day out at Great Yarmouth Gorleston & DCS Premier Open Show supporting our breed classes with judge Heather Snelson (Ashtrax) officiating.

Starting with Alaskan Malamutes, at 10.5 years of age Harry made me super proud by taking 2nd in Open to the BOB winner, being called back in to win Reserve Best of Breed – good lad! 

Onto the Greenland Dogs, with both Jess & Noah competing in Open, seeing Jess take 1st & Best of Breed, with Noah 2nd & Reserve Best of Breed handled by friend Lorna. 

Not done there, in a good sized and rather lovely working group with 16 breeds present, Jess not only made it the shortlist but went on to take a really pleasing Working Group 3 under judge Jane Paradise (Shardlow) – very proud!

18/09

Today we get to say happy 5th birthday to our Norwegian lad Noah (and all his Suna-Sanik 'Electric' littermates), our all round awesome big lump of Greenland who puts a smile on our face everyday.

17/09

A lovely day out at Darlington Championship Show which, as the last UK General Champ show of the year to schedule Greenland breed classes (and being relatively local too) is always a calendar favourite. Onto our results under judge Angie Johns (Alepenkye):

Jess - 1st Open Dog / Bitch, Best Bitch & Best of Breed!!
Noah - 2nd Open Dog / Bitch, Best Dog & Best Opposite Sex!

Not forgetting Jess’s sister Zippy – Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans – who came away with 3rd in Post Graduate and was a very good girl.

The above results are even more special as this Best of Breed has enabled Jess to pip Noah to the post and – subject to confirmation from Our Dogs – gives her the honour of claiming Top Dog in Breed 2023! Very special indeed as whilst we have had the privilege of owning / exhibiting the Top Dog in Breed since 2018 (our first being Jess’s Father, Dylan) this is the first time we have had a homebred dog claim this award. Very proud!

02/09

Someting a little bit different to start out month as myself, Dylan & Lucie (along with Dylan's daughter Elska owned by Charlotte & Kurts) attend the CEDCGB Breed Appreciation Day as demo dogs for the sled dog breed comparison section of their seminar. 

As always, the dogs make me super proud with their enthusiastic and friendly approach to this educational event, and we always enjoy the opportunity to talk to prospective and existing judges about what makes our similar but clearly different breeds so special.

AUGUST
 

30/08

A boys day out at Norfolk & Norwich CS Premier Open Show.

First up in support of the Alaskan Malamute classes is Harry, who at 10.5 years of age makes me super proud under judge Doug Bedfor ny not only gaining 2nd in Open (to a bitch half his age no less) but going on to take Reserve Best of Breed in the challenge.

Next up is Noah who in Greenland Dog classes comes away with 1st Open & Best of Breed under judge Josh Henderson - not a bad day's work!

27/08

While I am out the country, a little help from friends means Noah gets a trip down South to support our breed classes at Horley & DCS Premier Open Show. And it proves a worthwhile trip, seeing him gain 1st Open & Best of Breed under judge Elizabeth Ashcroft.

23-27/08

This week saw myself & Jess on a road trip to Switzerland for the 2023 World Dog Show in Geneva.

It was not the strongest start to our week at the Grand Prix CACIB Show on Wednesday, with Jess receiving her first ever Very Good grading (albeit still 1st Champion Bitch) under judge Petru Muntean (RO) - who explained he did not feel her Summer coat could warrant a higher grading - however the WDS itself on Sunday proved a much more successful affair where under judge Paula Heikkinen-Lehkonen (FI), she claimed 1st Greenland Dog Champion Bitch / Excellent Grading, Best Female / Swiss CAC / CACIB & Best of Breed!!

This not only gives her the World Winner 2023 award but also (subject to FCI confirmation) finishes her International Champion title!! This makes her our third Greenland CIB Champion but our first homebred one! At 2.5 years of age – and of course not being eligible to compete for the CACIBs required for this title until she turned 18 months – I really could not be more proud of the Ginger Nut for her FCI achievements in a relatively short space of time - safe to say we travelled home on cloud nine!

AUGUST
 

04/08

A trip South West to Paignton Championship Show today where under judge Chris Watson the Fenrirkin Greenland Team had the following results:

Noah: 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best of Breed

Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans, owned by Kimberly Jebson): 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex

Jess: 2nd Open Bitch & Reserve Best Bitch

Happy owner / breeder all round, but especially so with Zippy who from limited showing now brings her Champ Show tally up to three Best Bitch & three Reserve Best Bitch awards (including Crufts) – what a star she is! No photos on the day but here is a clip of Noah in the Working Group courtesy of the Our Dogs Facebook livestream.

JULY
 

16/07

While I was enjoying a second day in Malvern - having the pleasure of judging at the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain breed show - our kennel was still being represented on the other side of the country where Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte Parson & Kurts Reders) had a fabulous day out at Bakewell Open Show coming away with 1st Post Graduate & Best of Breed under judge Patricia Battersby (Internos). Very proud, with extra congratulations to Kurts who was handling her for the first time.

16/07

A trip South West to Malvern with Jess & Noah for NW&PBS Championship Show.

Once again, it was Jess who came out on top with Best Bitch & Best of Breed under judge Rob Douma (Netherlands) whilst Noah claimed Best Dog & Best Opposite Sex - well worth braving the stormy weather! 

No photos in the breed ring, but couldn't resist sharing a short video of Jess in the group, and this phonesnap of Jess enjoying some van cuddles with our camping buddies that evening.

08/07

As I am sure was felt by many others, today was an enjoyable but bittersweet day as we attended the last ever East of England Championship Show which has long been our most local Championship Show with Greenland Dog breed classes - and the everchanging weather certainly kept us on our toes!

Under judge Marion Sargent, the three Fenrirkin Greenland representatives had a fabulous day.

Jess - 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best of Breed

Noah - 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best Opposite Sex

Elska (Fenrirkin Out of the Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts) - 1st Post Graduate Bitch & Reserve Best Bitch
 

JUNE
 

28/06

And just two days after I submitted her online application, Jess's Show Certificate of Excellence (SHCEX) title is confirmed - and we couldn't resist commissioning an advert to celebrate this special achievement!

25/06

Staying down South, today we are supporting breed classes at Eastbourne & DCS Premier Open Show and once again it is Jess's time to shine winning 1st Open & Best of Breed under judge Penny Roberts (with Noah 2nd & Reserve Best of Breed) followed by a fabulous Working Group 3 under judge Pauline Luxmoore-Ball.

24/06

A very warm outing to Wealdstone & DCS Open Show where we ocne again have the pleasure of supporting breed classes and Jess's good run continuines, winning 1st Open & Best of Breed under judge Tate Forsey with kennelmate Noah placing 2nd and gaining Reserve Best of Breed in the challenge. Not done there, as the only rare breed competing in the Working Group she places Working Group 4 under judge Sally Duffin - this place is made even more exciting by the fact it gives her the final point for her KC Show Certificate of Excellence (ShCEx) title making har the first and only Greenland to obtain this award (and from only a year of eligible shows no less) - so, so proud!!

21/06

Another outing for me and Jess, this time to Royal Cheshire County Premier Open Show, where she wins 1st Open and Best of Breed under judge Elizabet Caminade-Lavault.
 

17/06

Today ended up being just me & Jess who headed to North Wales for Ruthin CS Open in support of our breed classes - and what a lovely day it turned out to be!

Under judge Kris Kingsley (Dainoak) she won 1st Open, Best of Breed and an awesome Working Group 2 in nice competition - good girl!

11/06

A very warm but enjoyable day at Ashfield (Notts) CS Premier Open Show supporting their Greenland Dog classes.
Under judge Danielle Seward (Elleonia), Jess wins 1st Open & Best of Breed, with Noah taking 2nd place & Reserve Best of Breed and a rather naked Alice placing 3rd.
Not done there, in a large Working Group (14 breeds present) Jess went on to win a fabulous Workng Group 4 under judge Sally Duffin (Longdorham) - well worth braving the weather.

10/06

A trip to Malvern for Three Counties Championship Show and once again we are in AVNSC Working. 
Under judge Hazel Fitzgibbon (Smilesam), Noah places a respectable 3rd in a strong Open Dog class but start of the day is Jess who not only wins Open Bitch over some lovely Portugese Water Dog competition but then takes Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex in the challenges - super proud!

04/06

We started the month with a road trip to Newbury for a very sunny Southern Counties Championship Show. No breed classes here but we had a fun time in AVNSC Working against our Russian Black / Hovawart competition seeing our Greenland team came away with the following under judge Dolores Montgomery:

Noah - 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best of Breed AVNSC Working

Jess - 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex

Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, handled by owner Charlotte) - 1st Post Graduate Bitch & Reserve Best Bitch

And couldn't resist sharing this photo of the two sisters in the Bitch challenge together (with thanks to Hailey Webb).
 

MAY

27/05

A lovely, sunny day out at Bath Championship Show (which opted for glorious sunshine this year as opposed to it's occasional Bank Holiday downpour)! Greenlands may have been last in the ring but good company throughout the day stopped any of us getting too restless with our team's results as follows under judge Bridgette Bodle:
* Jess - 1st Open, Best Bitch & Best of Breed
* Noah - 2nd Open, Best Dog & Best Opposite Sex
* Alice - 3rd Open
* Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, borrowed from owner's Charlotte & Kurts for the weekend) - 1st Post Graduate & Reserve Best Bitch behind her sister!
 

26/05

Today's edition of Our Dogs newspaper features the Greenland Dog in their regular A-Z Breed Feature. It is with great pride our dogs and breeding feature across the numerous articles (including one written by myself), as well as in our own kennel advert, submitted in support of the feature. For those interested in this bit of UK breed history, single issues can be purchased on the Our Dogs Website:

21/05

Brace yourself for a bit of an epic update, today being the third and final show day for our team as part of a week long road trip to show in Scnadinavia with our Greenland Dogs for the first time.

To explain, when the 2023 European Dog Show was announced as destined for Denmark, there was no question in my mind that I would be going for two primary reasons:
1) The Greenland Dog is considered through patronage a native breed of Denmark and so is as close to showing in country of origin as I can ever get. To do as much at an EDS was just too special an opportunity to miss.
2) Whatever the country, often our breed competition is numerically small but for several years I have been watching on social media a number of beautiful dogs being shown & worked with success in Denmark, largely first or second generation direct Greenland imports. To be in a position to see them in person and to compete against them alongside any others travelling for the event was very exciting to me!

And so three of my dogs joined up with friends for a circa 3000km round trip that didn’t disappoint!

The results then for my team, under judges Satu Ylä-Mononen (Finland) for the EDS International, Leif Lehmann Jørgensen (Denamrk) for the Agria Winner International & Nikola Smolic (Croatia) for the Polar Speciality National Championship Show as follows:

Jess - ESP CH Fenrirkin Can't Be Late (SUI JUN-CH, EW’23, AGW’23, WW'22, LW-ES'22, BW-22, EJW'22, LJW-FR'22, AJS'21) 
EDS:
1st Open Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Cert (DK CAC). FCI-CACIB. 1st Best Female. Best Opposite Sex. European Winner 2023!!!
Agria Winner:
1st Open Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Cert (DK CAC). CACIB. 1st Best Female. Best Opposite Sex. Agria Winner 2023!!!
Polar Speciality:
1st Open Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Res-Cert (DK RCAC). 3rd Best Female.

Noah – SUI / ESP / INT CH Suna-Sanik's Electric Noah Of Fenrirkin (WW'22, EW'22, LW-FR'22-ES'22, BW-22, AS'21, BJW-BE'19) 
EDS:
2nd Champion Male. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Cert (DK CAC). RCACIB. 3rd Best Male.
Agria Winner:
2nd Champion Male. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Cert (DK CAC). RCACIB. 3rd Best Male.
Polar Speciality:
3rd Champion Male. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Res-Cert (DK RCAC). 4th Best Male.

Alice – IRE / SUI CH Suna-Sanik's Freidige Alice Av Fenrirkin (EW'22, LW-FR'22, BJW-BE'19) 
EDS:
2nd Champion Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). 3rd Best Female.
Agria Winner:
3rd Champion Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). Res-Cert (DK RCAC). 4th Best Female.
Polar Speciality:
3rd Champion Female. Excellent Graded. CK (Champion Quality). 4th Best Female.

To have all three of my dogs gain Excellent Grades *and* CKs (required to consider them in the Best of Sex line up) at every show was in itself such an achievement to me, so to then have my homebred girl Jess come out as Best Female on two out of three shows and gain the European Winner title against lovely, more mature competition was a dream come true.
In this instance though, the pleasure of sharing the ring with our Suna-Sanik family and of course those beautiful Danish breed representatives I have admired from photos was just awesome and is a memory I will long treasure.
Also pretty cool – if a little frustrating – to know that were I resident in an FCI country Jess & Noah would have been able to claim their Danish Champion titles – clever pups! But of course being two thirds of the way there both is pretty neat and gives us a future goal to aim towards.

As always, my most sincere thanks to those judges who thought well of my guys, to my fellow exhibitors and the organising bodies who made my first Danish show experience such a welcoming and pleasant one, to my handling help in the form of Scarlett & Racheal whose skills (when not busy with their own dogs, of course) made showing my three a much less stressful task - and last but by no means least to every one of those friends who shared this adventure and made it what it is. Just a few photos!
 

14/05

What an epic final weightpull of the season we had today!! From the five dogs we have competing, results as follows:

Noah: 2nd 100lb+ class with a pull of 1900lb (17.76x his bodyweight) – a new personal best *and* a new UK breed record for Highest Weight pulled by a Greenland!!

Alice: 2nd 41-60lb class with a pull of 1200lb (20.69x her bodyweight) – a new personal best (although she still brought the comedy value throughout with her "insistent socialising" as I shall euphemistically call it, and as oer norm tangled her way out of the competition)!

Harry: 3rd 81-100lb class with a pull of 1700lb (20.48x his bodyweight and equal to 2nd place but slower on time) – and so damn close to that 21x needed for his final WWPDA leg (doh)! But at 10 years old I am certainly not complaining!

Dylan: 6th 81-100lb class with a pull of 1400lb (15.91x his bodyweight). 

Jess: 5th 61-80lb class with a pull of 800lb (11.11x her bodyweight). Unfortuantely she gave herself a shock by running at speed into the harness, jarring herself hard against the full weight of the trolley. She made the 800lb pull but it was with her tail between her legs and on the 900lb she wouldn’t even try (something she has never done even in those first novice class outings). Fingers crossed some drag training over the next few months will rebuild that confidence and by the time the next pull comes round this will be a distant memory and we can start afresh 

Also attending were two of Jess's sisters, and they didn't let the side down either!

Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black): 1st 41-60lb class with a pull of 1400lb (23.73x her bodyweight) – a new personal best *and* a new UK breed record for Highest Percentage of Bodyweight pulled by a Greenland and Highest Weight pulled by a female – what a superstar!! 
Elska was also the sole Greenland competing on Saturday, where she not only won the 41-60lb class but also claimed highest weight pulled by opposite sex on the day with a pull of 1300lb (22.03x her bodyweight). 

Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans): not competing but had her first try in novice class and was such a pro, showing no concerns with pulling up to the maximum permitted weight and showing great natural form.

And last but not least, it was a wonderful surprise during the end of season ceremony to be presented with this beautiful framed artwork for Noah pulling the highest weight by a Greenland over the season - modelled here in the back of my van by our resident cheerleader, 13 year old Lucie (who will always be my star weightpull dog, even if she is unable to compete anymore)!

13/05

A fabulous day out at Redditch & DCS Open Show.

Starting with breed judging under Caroline Friend-Rees which saw all three of my gang competing in the Open class. 

Jess came out on top, winning 1st and Best of Breed, with her Mum Alice taking 2nd & RBOB too and a very giddy Noah 3rd.

But Jess wasn't done there. In a large working group, she first place Working Group 3 (behind 2 handsome Champions, no less) under judge Toni Jackson.

She then went on to win Best Rare Breed In Show under judge Julie Pike - Her second such award, no less. Very proud!!

08/05

To say the weather was not particularly kind at Aberystwyth & DCS is probably a bit of an understatement but despite the challenges of heavy rain and win, the committee, stewards, judges & fellow exhibitors did a fabulous job keeping spirits high.

Noah and Jess both claimed 1st in their Open Dog & Open Bitch classes under judge John Steele, but it was Noah who once again emerged on top, winning Best of Breed in the challenge with our friend Push at the end of the lead - his first time with a Greenland and what an awesome job he did)!!

07/05

Today was the Alaskan Malamute Club of the UK Speciality Open Show, where I had the pleasure of supporting two breed specialist judges with my 13 year old Lucie (IRE CH / UK CH Windberg Paparazzi To Fenrirkin VW ShCM, HUN / BEL / IRE / NED / BNLX VET CH, WTD WPDA WWPDX VAM BAM) & 10 year old Harry (Viking Fenrir Kin Of Kiyara's Wolf Pak ShCEx VW, WPD WTD WWPD).

Harry was his usual happy, waggy self and claimed 2nd place in both his Special Veteran class and Working Certified Dog but it was Lucie’s day to shine. She too claimed 2nd in Working Certified Bitch but in breed judging went one better and placed 1st in her Special Veteran Bitch class. Not done there, went on to be awarded Best Veteran Bitch in the challenge, her sixth such win at an AMCUK Speciality!!

When they get to this age you treasure every moment, so just enjoying a day out together was special enough. I really cannot express what it means to see her still so excited to be out & about (even if I had forgotten how demanding and noisy she can be at a show LOL) and sharing this win with her just fills my heart with pride!

04/05

We start May at Birmingham National Champsionship Show, always a calendar favourite as our first champ show post Crufts scheduling Greenland classes.

Under judge Helen Lightfoot it is Noah who comes out on top with 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best of Breed. Jess was next in line, winning 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex, with her mum Alice placing 2nd Open Bitch & Reserve Best Bitch in the challenge.

Not forgetting Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts) & Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans owned by Kim) who both represented fabulously as always and placed 1st & 2nd respectively in their Limit Bitch class – good girls!!

APRIL

23/04

Another wonderful day with great results to share for Fenrirkin dogs up and down the country.

I headed North to attend Sunderland & DCS Premier Open Show which was a lovely, sunny day despite a previously quite ominous weather forecast.
Under judge Bridgette Bodle, Noah came 1st in Open - going on to take Best of Breed – with Alice placing 2nd (with a technical RBOB).
Not done there though, in a good size Working Group he managed not only a shortlist to the final six but gained a fabulous WG3  - very pleased!

Normally a rare breed group placing would be enough for me to beam about but the celebrations don’t stop there as Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black owned by Kurts & Charlotte) was in Lincolnshire for Day 2 of the weightpull, out of novice class and into competition – and she did not let the side down! 
She not only came 2nd in the 41-60lb class with a pull of 1200lb (equal to 1st place in weight but pulled 2.5 seconds slower) but weighing in at 58lb this gave her a pull of 20.69x her bodyweight - the highest percentage pulled by a bitch on the day!
Not only this, but this gives her two new UK breed records, the first being for the highest weight pulled by a bitch (this previously being held by her grandmother Java with a pull of 1000lb) and also the highest percentage of bodyweight pulled by a UK Greenland Dog (this previously being held by her Dad Dylan with a pull of 20.25x his bodyweight). Could not be more proud of her and her owners, especially with this being only her second competitive pull!!

22/04

A fabulous day at the CEDCGB run Lincolnshire weightpull, with just the boys to give them a break from season fun at home.

Dylan came 6th of 10 competing dogs in the 81-100lb class with a pull of 15.29x his bodyweight (1300lb).

Harry was also in the 61-80lb class and once again made me very proud, coming 2nd in the with a pull of 1500lb (18.52x his bodyweight).
 

Noah also didn't disappoint, coming 3rd in the 101lb-120lb class with a pull of 1800lb (16.82x his bodyweight) - equal on weight to second place but 3 seconds slower.
This is not only a new Personal Best for him but also a new UK Breed record for highest weight pulled (this previously being held by his kennelmate Dylan with a pull of 1700lb) - very very proud to say the least!!

20/04

Today we get to say a massive happy birthday to our wonderful Malamute Lucie who has reached 13 years of age. As her enthusiasm in the top centre photo (taken today) probably helps demonstrate she is still just as sassy, loud and demanding a woo as she has always been and remains the dog that never fails to put a smile on my face every single day and am forever grateful to have in my life.

16/04

Another Open Show for us today at Hitchin & DCS.
Under judge Sam Goodwin (Mintisha), Noah wins 1st Open & Best of Breed, with Alice - kindly handled by friend Lorna - placing 2nd in the same class and Reserve Best of Breed. Noah then goes into the Working Group under judge  Laura Clark (Clarkenwells) and to my delight takes WG3 from 10 breeds present - good lad!

15/04

Today we head to North Wales to support our breed classes at Wrexham KA Open Show.

It is just Jess representing our kennel but she doesn't let the side down, winning 1st Open & Best of Breed and going on to take Working Group 2 under judge Josh Henderson (Olijah), beaten only by the Newfoundland that went on to win Best In Show, nonetheless. Very proud!

11/04

A pleasing day out at Norfolk & Norwich CS Open Show to support our breed classes. 
Penny Roberts (Archaeus) officiates and finds her 1st Open & Best of Breed in Noah (handled for the first time by the talented Edward Eddery), 2nd Open & Reserve Best of Breed in Jess and 3rd Open in Alice (handled fantastically by our friend Racheal, as always). 

07/04

Due to unforseen circumstance I was sadly unable to attend Edwinstowe & DCS Open Show - who scheduled Greenland breed classes for the first time - as planned but I was delighted to receive news that the Fenrirkin Kennel was still well represented!

Judge Carol Cavanagh found her Best of Breed in Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings At Austmans) and Reserve Best of Breed in Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black) - well done ladies, a proud breeder as always!

02/04

We start the month with a full weekend of weightpulling at the CEDCGB-AMCUK ran events in Lincolnshire. 

Day 1 saw a decent turn out with 26 dogs entered including those in novice (13 Malamutes, 8 CEDs, 5 Greenlands) and it was fair to say even with a bit of drizzle at the start of the day everybody was in good spirits.

First up in the novice class was Jess. Her first try at weightpull was back in November and she had been a bit uncertain about the whole thing but this time round, even though just her second attempt, she seemed much more confident, ultimately pulling up to the maximum 1000lb (13.69x bodyweight) unassisted.

Her sister, Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black) was also back in the novice class (the decision made by her owners to take the opportunity to build her focus a little bit more before trying competition again) and she continues to show such good promise, also pulling the maximum 1000lb unassisted which being a fair bit lighter than her tomboy of a sister is an impressive 18.18x her bodyweight.

Next up was their mother Alice who was being given another chance in competition to see if we could break her habit of flipping out her harness when she got bored. While we seemed to have solved that issue she has a new party trick - refusing to pull until she has harassed the chute handler(s) for cuddles – but her performance was definitely improved versus her November attempt, coming away with 2nd in the 41-60lb class with an equal PB of 900lb (16.98x her bodyweight).

Moving onto the 81-100lb class, Dylan ended up placing 4th of 9 competing dogs with a pull of 1300lb (15.66x his bodyweight) – I made the classic error of skipping the 1400lb thinking he was showing good focus and of course he decided to prove me wrong in typical Greenland style by doing his classic staring through me technique without even really attempting to move the 1500lb. But at least he had fun!

Harry - my only competing Malamute - on the other hand showed much better focus (albeit still entirely too much bouncing but at 10 years old I don’t think we’ll be breaking that habit now) and came 2nd in the 81-100lb class with a pull of 1500lb (18.29x his bodyweight), equal to the class winner on weight pulled (but slower on time) – what a good boy!

Finally was Noah who I was absolutely thrilled to see come 2nd in the 101lb+ class with a new Personal Best of 1500lb (13.89x his bodyweight) – only his third time competition and although still too much time shouting and procrastinating a big improvement in his focus!
 

Day 2 was a much sunnier day all round, drawing a slightly smaller entry of 18 dogs (8 CEDs, 6 Malamutes & 4 Greenlands).

Alice still didn’t try to escape her harness (a definite bonus) but it is clear has convinced herself that weightpull is more about socialising than actually pulling, even trying to climb the barrier to say hi to the timekeeper at one point. Not surprisingly, she ended up 5th of 5 in the 41-60lb class with a pull of 800lb (although still 15.69x her bodyweight).

Next up was Jess who I decided to give a go in competition as she had shown so much more confidence on Saturday (also helped knowing that if she failed the first qualifying pull we could move her back down to novice). She actually really surprised me and did much better than I initially expected, placing 2nd in the 61-80lb class with a pull of 900lb (12.68x her bodyweight) – in fact, she did actually pull the 1000lb unaided but unfortunately ran out of time after getting completely distracted by the chute handler, something we obviously need to work on but all in all a really promising first competitive effort.

Dylan was once again 4th in the 81-100lb class and although his final pull of 1200lb (14.12x bodyweight) was less than Saturday I actually felt he put in more effort and so strangely felt happier all in all – and he was once again a happy, smiley boy.

Harry was my wonderful surprise for the day and came away with another 2nd in the 81-100lb class with a pull of 1600lb (18.6x his bodyweight) – and he actually gave the 1700lb a really good try, so when I could see he was getting tired we had the trolley pushed through to end on a good note but so over the moon with his efforts over the weekend and certainly shows the longevity of these dogs (in fact I think many of the top honours went to Veterans)!

And last but by no means least, Noah was also my star of the day as he continued to improve his focus and once again pulled a new PB of 1600lb (14.68x his bodyweight) – still plenty of room for improvement but am excited to see how he progresses!

MARCH

19/03

A super busy weekend for the Fenrirkin Greenland Team, with 5 dogs of our ownership or breeding representing the breed at two open shows, two days of weightpull and a full weekend rally.

Starting with Alice who headed off on Friday evening for a weekend away, once again teaming up with Kim and her Greenland male Wolvey to support the DRF (freight) class at NATB Charlton Park rally.
Although fairly humid and requiring a shortened trail on day one – and the pair losing some time from a a tangle on day two – the duo still had a fantastic time and strong runs, coming away with 1st place on both days. Good pupsters (and of course well done Kim)!!

Meanwhile the CEDCGB-AMCUK run weightpull in Lincolnshire had its first full weekend competition after it's first 1 day event back in November.
Unfortunately we couldn’t attend on Saturday as planned but Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts) was able to attend as our breed representative on on the day where she had her first time in competition, placing 3rd in the 41-60b class.

She then was back on the road on Sunday morning to support our breed classes at Retford CS Open Show, where she won 1st Post Graduate & ultimately Best of Breed under judge Tara Fisher (Sannah) – a very proud breeder as always!

On Sunday I was needed elsehwere but thanks to a bit of teamwork with friends I was able to drop off Noah & Dylan to represent the breed. With both boys normally pulled by myself (and of course this only being Noah's second time in competition) it was a bit of a gamble on whether they would work for anybody else so our aim was just for them to have a nice day out. We certainly achieved this, with both boys having fun and cherry on the cake was seeing Dylan placing 3rd in the 81-100lb class (equal weight to 2nd place but beaten on time) and Noah pulling an equal PB to come 2nd in the 101lb+ class - good lads!

And finally Jess accompanied me to Herts & Essex CS Premier Open Show which was also scheduling breed classes and saw her place 1st Open & Best of Breed under our judge Gary Gray - not a bad weekend's work!

12/03

Our final day at Crufts 2023 and we are back on the Discover Dogs stand with Noah & Jess (plus human help from our friend and fellow GDCGB Committee member, Nicola).
​This is the first time Jess has covered Discover Dogs (and Noah's first time back since he was a puppy) so with Sunday being the busiest day we were a little apprehensive but needn't have worried - both dogs were superstars throughout the day, making me a very proud owner / breeder!

11/03

Back to the NEC, this time representing the Greenland Dog at Discover Dogs with Mother & Daughter duo Alice & Elska (the latter owned by Charlotte & Kurts). Having successfully covered the stand together last year, the pair once again made me very proud (especially as they don't live together) meeting humans of all ages and bringing smiles to many faces throughout.

10/03

Today is show day for us at Crufts and with my having no Malamutes entered for the first time in a decade it was all about the Greenlands - and what a fabulous day it was for our kennel uner our sled dog specialist judge Kath Howarth (Hawkam). The results for the three dogs we had entered as follows:

* Jess - 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best of Breed!!
* Noah – 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best Opposite Sex!
* Alice – 3rd Open Bitch

Also competing were two of Jess's sisters, and they certainly didn't let the side down!

* Zippy (Fenrirkin Gives You Wings With Austmans, owned by Kimberly & Mark) - 2nd Open Bitch & Reserve Best Bitch!
* Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black, owned by Charlotte & Kurts) - Reserve Open Bitch

These wins were so special to me, making it the third year we have done the double at Crufts (Noah & Alice in 2020, Noah & Jess in 2022) and with Jess's wins not only giving our kennel it's first homebred Crufts Best of Breed winner (at a mere two years old, and just starting to come back into coat, too) but also making her only the second Greenland female to claim this award at Crufts, the first being her awesome paternal grandmother, Nicola & Stuart’s Java (Arabica Av Tasermiut at Sledog ShCM).
Her group performance may have been a bit more on the wriggly / bouncy side than I would have liked (a bored Greenland is not an easy one)!! but ultimately she was a happy girl, unstressed by the environment and still so enthusiastic after a very long day and that is more important to me than anything else!

We may be one of the smaller breeds numerically at this event but this doesn’t detract from what these awards mean and I really am honestly so proud of all the Greenlands competing on the day – whether from my kennel or not - with every dog present was happy to be there, in sound condition and showed typical breed enthusiasm for our judge to whom I am so grateful, along with friends Mark & Racheal for their fantastic handling of Noah & Alice.

09/03

It wouldn't be March without Crufts, and this year, while we were busy grooming (in the snow no less!) our kennel was still being represented with Nuuka (Fenrirkin Catch Me If You Can) having her first time on the Discover Dogs stand alongsider her owners Jo & Carl.

Needless to say, I am very proud of them all (especially covering the stand solo) and was delighted to hear she enjoyed all the attention from the general public - a very proud breeder!

04/03

A fab start to an always busy month, having the pleasure of supporting our Greenland Dog breed classes at Ashton In Makerfield CS Premier Open Show.

Jess was representing our kennel and didn’t let the side down, winning not only 1st Open & Best of Breed under sled dog specialist Elizabeth Ashcroft but going on to be shortlisted in a good sized group (17 breeds scheduled) and then taking a fantastic Working Group 3 in good company under judge Cath Moffat - a wonderful day.

Today also marks the 10th birthday of our handsome Harry who despite reaching double figures remains as bouncy and happy a boy as always - and long may it continue!!

FEBRUARY
 

26/02

This weekend was AMWA’s Haughley Park / WSA associated two day race and was a bit of a special one, teaming up with friend Kim to run her Greenland boy Wolvey not only with Alice again, but also increasing the team to include her daughter Jess, too.

This made it a real weekend of firsts, with this not only being Jess’s first ever competitive rally but also her & Wolvey’s first time in a team together plus his first time running with a wheel dog behind him. Everything looked good in theory but geography & other commitments as the weekend approached meant there was no time to trial the formation in training first, so of course there is always a nervousness trying something new in competitive circumstances – but our instincts proved right and what a fab trio they made!

Saturday – even with Kim reporting a few minor delays (one poop stop and a couple of indecisive turns) they came away with a very pleasing time behind a formidable Yakutian Laika team (who were busy making a bit of breed history competing under WSA regulations) which in turn gave them 1st place from the five AMWA competing teams on the day (which with two strong mixed freight-sibe teams on their heels in 2nd & 3rd made us both very proud indeed)!

Sunday – the three were super excited to be going out again and seemed to have fully clicked, improving their Saturday time by 40 seconds which proved enough to win their class against both their AMWA & WSA competitors on the day, and to my delight actually making them the second fastest freight team on Sunday (behind another all Greenland team in the ASFDC(8) class)!

The end result? Our first time team came away with a first place trophy for the weekend in ASFDC(3) – absolutely over the moon with them all, to say the least!

19/02

This weekend, Alice had the pleasure of joining our friend Kim and her Greenland male Wolvey for a sleepover so they could compete at NATB Dog Sport's Hinton Admiral 2 day race weekend. 

The duo undoubtedly had fun and, even better, came away with 1st in the DRF (Dryland Freight 2-4 dog) class!

18/02

Just Jess representing our kennel in breed classes at NW&PBS Open Show but a worthwhile journey as she came away with 1st Open & Best of Breed under our judge Ange Anderson (Cherubini).

04/02

We start our month with Isle of Ely CS Premier Open Show which saw judge Tim Ball (Kaitak) officiating breed classes.

Noah & Jess competed together in the Open class, with Noah placing 1st & Best of Breed with Jess runner up and called back into the challenge for Reserve Best of Breed.

Also representing on the day was Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black) who not only won her Post Graduate breed class but went on to place a pleasing 2nd in AV Working Post Graduate under judge Pauline Luxmoore-Ball.

JANUARY

 

28/01

Today we enjoyed a trip to Lichfield CS Premier Open Show with Jess in AVNSC Working & Harry out for the AMCUK supported breed classes.

Harry was in first and was his usual happy self, standing alone to win his Veteran class but making me very happy by going to claim two very pretty rosettes for Reserve Best of Breed along with Best Veteran in the challenge under judge Glynn Payne (Fearnought).

Not to be outdone, Jess quite suited being the odd one out in an otherwise all Boxer AVNSC competition having dumped most of her coat on the grooming table the night before - and definitely seeming to have a spring in her step as a result - nonetheless managing 1st Open and to my delight Best AVNSC under Steve Atkinson (Hollinswell). Not a bad day's work!

22/01

Manchester Championship was made more special than usual for us this year by scheduling Greenland Dog breed classes for the first time!
With Alice in season, it was just Jess & Noah representing our kennel and the duo did the double under our judge Debbie Stansbury (Woodbriar), with Noah coming out on top winning 1st Open Dog, Best Dog & Best of Breed (with extra thanks to friend Tara who piloted him to these awards in the challenge) while Jess took 1st Open Bitch, Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex.

05/01

A relatively quiet day at Boston Championship Show to kick off the year with just Noah. In AVNSC Working, under judge John Purnell, he wins 1st Open Dog and Reserve Best Dog.

Also competing on the day is Elska (Fenrirkin Out Of The Black) who piloted by owner Charlotte not only 1ins her AVNSC Working Post Graduate Bitch class but goes on to win 1st Post Graduate, Best Bitch & Best Opposite Sex in AV Rare Breeds (also under judge John Purnell) - a very proud breeder moment!

01/01

We start the year as a very proud owner & breeder as we can now confirm our annual awards in the Our Dogs Top Dog competitions. And what a good excuse it is for us to share the beautiful advert we commissioned with Samnooshka designs for the (sadly postponed) Our Dogs A-Z Breed Feature.